The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1887-11-17

The wounds which pain me. but no longer stay.
W men tnou art near.
-Wiziam Barasa Tyler
NOT WORTH THE CANDLE.
Shortly after the memor able three dAvs
OF July, 1880, the floating population of
Paris was modestly increased by the ar
rival in that city, from his native prov
ince. Of eymphorien Baliveau. The pos
os or OF this singular and not precisely
euph onioas patron ymic was a man about
TWEEN y-ive years old, neither handsome
nor the reverse--the sort of type one
n.eets every day IN the boulevard, and
never 10, ks at twice. Such, however,
was "ot lis own opinion; on the con-
cary, he was profoundly imp essed with
the consciousness of his personal attrac-
.'ono. and resolved to profit by them for
the 4 -taiE ment of the great object of his
smbi'iou-no.oriety. During the first
iew weeks of his sojourn in the French
Capital lie pondered necessarily on the
best means Of realizing his project, and
finally made up his mind.
i have everything in my face" he
said to himself" good looks, money,
and determination 10 succeed; all
want is a short cat to celebrity, and a
due! will give me that"
Having arrived at this conclusion, NJ.
Bali>eau impatiently awaited an oppor-
tuulty Of testing the correctness of his
idea, which very soon came. On the fol-
lowing evening in bavaroise at Tolto-
ms short, spare individual, dressed ac-
c0rding TO the latest mode, with a brist-
ling moustache and selfsatistied air,
took his seat at an adjoining table The
provincial, after critical in pection of
the newcomer, rose from his chair, and ,
saluting him courteously, requested that
he would favor him with the address of
his tailor.
TIE stranger glanced obliquely at his
questloner. Why?" he inquired.
Because | am strack with the good
taste of your dress. That green coat
with the silver buttons becomes you aI-
u.irabiy."
"You think so?" Well, your wish
eau be easily gratifed, for l happen to
nave my tailor's card in my pocket
Here it is'
Extremely obliged. May ask if you
also have the address of your boot
naker?"
Certainly" the little man replied
with suavity, and tearing out leaf from
his memorandum book, he wrote on it the
indication required, and handed it to Bal
iveau. " Is there anything more that you
might wish to know ?"
"Onlv this. If might venture to in
qure the name Of your halter p
That, | regret to say, am unable to
give You tonight. But l have it at
home, and tomorrow morning two of my
friends will have the honor of communi
eating it to you, if you will favor me with
your address,"
With pleasure, Monsieur" replied
Symphorien. Here is nv card.''
"And here is mine"
"N othing can be BETTER" thought Bali
veau, As, after exchanging polite bow
with the stranger, and paying for his ba-
yaroise, he strolled leisurely along the
boulevard; impossible to settle little
affair Of this kind more pleasantly My
adversary is a gentleman, there is no
doubt of that. By the way, l may as
we'll see who he is" Then, taking the
card from his pocket and approaching
lighted show window, he read as follows:
"Martial Rogue" "Roque," he exclam-
ed, starting back and paling visibly-
",he notorious duelist who never misses
his man, bat either spits him with thrust
impossible to parry, or brings him down
with bullet neatly placed between the
eyes, Mercy on me, what a mistake /
have made, and all for the sake of celeb
rity! l shall be celebrated enough to-
morrow, dare say; but what good will
it do me if am not there to see it?''
From which soliloquy it may be infer
red that NJ. Baliveau, although hero in
spe, was by no means equally desirous of
being a posthumous one.
As may be imagined, he slept very
badly, and early next morning was arous
ed from ftful slumber by the arrival of
his adversary's seconds, to whom he
apologized, on the plea Of being q stran
ger in Paris, for his inability to refer
them to his own temoins; promising,
however, that they should accompany him
to the appointed place of meeting. A
secluded spot in the Bois de Boulogne-
in those days less frequented than it is at
present-having been agreed upon. and
4 O'Clock in the afternoon proposed and
accepted, NJ Roque's emissaries announc-
ed that their principsl, having the choice
of weapons, had selected pistols, and, this
formality accomplished, left Symphorien
to his meditations, which were none of
the brightest. While ruefully cogitating
to whom he could apply in this dilemma,
he mechanically drew from his pocket the
two addresses given him by Rogue.
"The very men want" he said, bright
eninp up, and without a moments delay
he dispatched a messenger to Messrs.
Staub and Sakosky, the fashionable tailor
and bootmaker of the period, requesting
their immediate attendance at the hotel
where he was staying.
On their appearance, within . few min
utes of each other, he adopted the concil-
iatory plan of giving them far larger
order than they were in the habit OF re-
ceiving, even from the most extravagant
customers, and when the necessary details
Of Measurement had been completed, he
a.tonished them still more by desiring to
know the amount OF his debt, as he
wished to settle it beforehand. With one
accord they protested against the neces-
sity OF so speedy payment, declaring
that they had every confidence in has SOL
vency, and were not in the slightest hurry.
"That. may be-" he replied; but AN
| have a duel this afternoon with ID.
ROGUE; and although / am NO novice In
such matters, and have brought down .
swallow on the wing before now, still,
-:.L ~ 1,r~aroue an o1varaArV one can